APC risks implosion with Ganduje as chairman, ex-Vice Chair warns

Immediate past National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Salihu Lukman, who resigned on Wednesday in protest against the recent turn of events in the party, said yesterday that the imposition of the former governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, as national chairman would lead the party to damnation.

Although Lukman resigned on Wednesday, his resignation has not been accepted by his colleagues in the National Working Committee, NWC.

“Perhaps, it is important to clarify that this is not in anyway questioning the authority of President Bola Tinubu as the moral leader of the party. Being the moral leader of the party doesn’t give him the power of exercising statutory functions of organs of the party or unilaterally changing provisions of the party’s constitution.

”It will amount to setting President Tinubu for failure in the worse possible way to proceed to encourage him to act in a manner that is illegal and immoral.

”If the scheming to have Dr. Ganduje emerge as the next national chairman of APC succeeds with all the legal and moral questions, as a party, we would have set the stage for the destruction of our party and God forbids, we would have laid the foundation that will make President Tinubu and all our elected representatives unpopular,” he stated.

In an “explanatory note” sequel to his resignation, Lukman said he was tired of fighting for reforms in the APC.

While he conceded that President Bola Tinubu remained the leader and moral compass of the party, Lukman, however, cautioned him against submitting to the temptation of becoming a champion of illegality and repression.

He said:  “Painful as it is, I want to appeal to President Bola Tinubu and all our leaders to resist the temptations that would project our party and our leaders as champions of illegality and repression.”

Lukman also listed at least three reasons Ganduje should not be imposed on the party, saying efforts to highlight legal and moral issues which should require a rethink, was simply ignored.

He added that Tinubu being privileged to come from a background of struggle for justice and democracy in Nigeria as someone who was in the trenches during the National Democratic Coalition NADECO days, should not be associated with any decision that would be illegal or immoral, let alone being unjust to any section of Nigeria.

According to him, the dominant view among leaders is that once President Tinubu has decided on an issue, other organs, especially the NWC, should just simply work for its success, even with all the legal and moral questions.

He said:  “May be at this point, we should publicly state both the legal and moral questions. The legal question is straight forward. Article 31.5(i) of the APC constitution dealing with what to do when there is vacancy, clearly stipulates that ‘in the case of a National/Zonal Officer, the State Executive Committee shall propose a replacement to the State Congress and Zonal Executive Committee for endorsement.

“Thereafter, the name shall be sent to the National Working Committee, which shall forward same to the National Executive Committee for approval.’ No section of the APC constitution gives anyone, including President Tinubu, the power to act in any contrary way.

“Therefore, if this provision of the APC constitution is to be respected, Nasarawa State Executive Committee of the APC, which is where Sen. Adamu comes from, should have the right to propose replacement, which should be endorsed by the State Congress and the Zonal Executive Committee, following which the name shall be forwarded to the NWC for onward transmission to NEC and approval.

“Related to this is the fact that negotiations for leadership of the National Assembly ceded the position of national chairman of the party to North Central. For whatever reasons, to proceed to act arbitrarily and move the position of national chairman to North West will be unfair and unjust.

”It simply amounts to taking the people of North Central for granted. Just imagine if the South West where President Tinubu comes from is to be treated by any leader of Nigeria that way. The related moral question is the choice of Dr. Ganduje.

“Sincerely, it simply means that we don’t attach any importance to the party if with all the corruption allegation against Dr. Ganduje, we find him about the only one in the North West to be recommended. ”Perhaps, it needs to be stated without fear of any contradiction, if leaders of the North West are asked to nominate five people for consideration to serve in the capacity of national chairman of APC, I am confident Dr. Ganduje will not be one of the five nominees.” Vanguard